


Separation

by TamaraAdama14



Category: Holby City
Genre: F/F, Slow but happy, happy endings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-18
Updated: 2017-05-05
Packaged: 2018-10-20 16:59:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 5,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10666938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TamaraAdama14/pseuds/TamaraAdama14
Summary: They say that separation makes the heart grow fonder, but is that true. Serena goes on her sabbatical, but Bernie has one request. That they meet once a month for a weekend in different cities. There's never discussion of the hospital, friends to an extent, but no work. Until the last month where Bernie has to tell Serena something rather important.





	1. Night

"Will you call?" Bernie asked, sitting on the sofa. 

"Bernie." Serena replied, her voice breaking as she curled into her side. 

"I love you, Serena." Bernie told her, wrapping her arms around Serena and placing kisses on the crown of her head.

"I love you, too." Serena said, kissing Bernie's neck. 

"Would it be okay if I met you somewhere? Weekends in Paris or Prague or Rome or where ever else you want to meet up." 

"I'd like that. I'd like to show the city where I grew up and the café where I had my first glass of wine." 

"Once a month, weekends in a different city together." Bernie whispered, pulling Serena onto her lap. 

"Of course. Move in here while I'm gone. It's payed off, everything's on a direct pay. If Cam or Charlotte come to town they can stay here with you." Serena questioned. 

"Serena," Bernie started, trying to meet her eyes. 

"I already put it in your name." Serena interrupted. 

Bernie looked up at her, tears meeting her eyes. 

"Hey, no tears. We promised no crying." Serena turned so she was straddling Bernie's lap. 

"I'm not crying. I just want to keep you here with me, forever." Bernie told Serena, her head falling into the brunette's chest. 

"I'll see you in a month for May Day in?"

"We'll talk about that later, but for now I'm taking you upstairs." Bernie told her, grabbing Serena's backside and hauling her up the stairs to their bedroom. 

Serena wrapped her arms tighter around Bernie's neck. "I love it when you carry me."

"I love carrying you." Bernie told her, placing her on the bed before kneeling down and untying Serena's shoes. 

"Bernie, you don't have to."

"I want to. I want to memorize every part of you." Bernie told her, unbuttoning her top and sliding it down her arms. 

Serena closed her eyes and let Bernie pull her clothes off of her, trace her fingers over her body. Serena reached for Bernie's hair and pulled her away from her chest. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Let me do this before you leave?" Bernie asked, leaning up to kiss Serena. 

"Okay." She replied, falling back after Bernie unclipped her bra. "Get up here."

"This is about you." Bernie told her, climbing on top of Serena. 

"I want to touch you." 

"You will after I make love to you." Bernie told her kissing down Serena's chest toward the band of her pants. 

Serena looked down at Bernie a smile on her lips. 

Bernie pulled Serena's pants down her legs running her fingers down the insides of her thighs. "So beautiful, you are so beautiful."

"Take me now." Serena begged, pulling on Bernie's hair. 

"Calm down I will." Bernie replied, kissing around her right hip and over her mons. 

Serena kept her fingers wound into Bernie's curls, she tried bucking her hips only to be stopped by strong hands around her thighs. 

Bernie smiled up at her, tongue slipping out to flick Serena's clit. 

"Oh god. More, please." 

Bernie didn't waste time pushing her tongue into Serena, fingers reaching for her breasts pulling on her nipples.

"Bernie, please. More please." Serena moaned. 

The blonde agreed to Serena's request and pulling her right hand down to bury her fingers in Serena's wet heat. One finger slid in with ease and then two, then three, a fourth tighter fit but Serena's reaction was worth any discomfort she had felt. 

"Oh Bernie. So good, more, faster, harder anything. I'm so fucking close." The brunette screamed, legs locking under Bernie's arms. 

"Do you trust me?" She asked, leaning up to meet Serena's eyes. 

"With my life."

Bernie smiled up at her, gently bending her thumb into her palm and pushing it into Serena. "You have no idea how hot you are with my fist buried inside of you."

"Your . . . what?" Serena asked, a note of panic in her voice. 

"Just let it happen. If you don't like it I'll stop." Bernie told her, left hand reaching for Serena's face. 

"It's really good, please let me come." Serena begged, pulling on Bernie's hair. 

Bernie leaned down twisting her fist and flicking her tongue on Serena's clit spelling out her name. 

They'd had sex before good sex, great sex, fantastic sex, slow sex, fast sex, loving sex, one very angry event in their office after a fight before Christmas, but this was something else entirely. This was over whelming, all encompassing, like Bernie was trying to wrap her in love before she left.

Serena felt something snap inside her that was entirely new, almost like a dam of the greatest feeling in the world breaking inside of her before nothing. 

 

Serena woke up a few minutes later with Bernie holding her. "What happened?"

"One of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. I made you squirt all over my face and then you blacked out." Bernie explained, her right hand stroking Serena's side spreading what was left of Serena's wetness all over her. 

Serena looked up at Bernie's face and then she saw that it was covered in what she guessed was her. "I've never."

"Most women haven't, but seeing you do it was amazing. We will have to revisit that, I want to see it again"

Serena leaned up to kiss her. "Maybe I want to see you do it."

"Shower first and then sleep."


	2. Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morning pillow talk.

Serena wakes up wrapped in Bernie's arms. 

"Bernie, will take me to the train station?" Serena asked, rolling over to face her. 

"Yes, of course." She replied, arms circling Serena just a little tighter. 

"Don't you dare cry, Berenice."

"I'm not, I just wish that you'd stay a little longer."

"The trains leaves at 11."

"There are other trains."

"I need to go. I hope I'll come back, but I'm not sure."

"I know, it's just …" Bernie said, fingers twining into Serena's hair.

"I love you, Bernie." 

"I love you, Serena." 

"You can always come with me." Serena suggested, eyes peering up through her bangs. 

Bernie looked down meeting her eyes. "I want to so badly, but I know if I go you won't be able to find yourself. I love you enough to be able to say that your happiness and wellbeing is more important than mine."

"You're more important than me. You have Cam and Charlotte and so many of the junior doctors love and respect you."

"I couldn't do any of this without you, you make me stronger and a better person."

"Really?" Serena asked. 

"Only you." Bernie replied. 

"If we had met years ago and Marcus wasn't an issue would you have asked me out?"

"I probably wouldn't have been able come near you. You are so far out of my league." Bernie said, kissing the top of her head. 

"You're prettier."

"My nose is giant, too thin of lips."

"I have a butt on my face and my ears don't match."

"I like the Mr. Rombuld ears and your chin is adorable."

"Your nose is distinctive and god your lips are perfect." Serena countered, pushing herself up to meet Bernie's lips. "Mr. Rumbold, really?"

"I watched 'Are You Being Served?' all this time when I was little. Nicholas Smith was hilarious."

"I used to watch it with my dad."

"What was your father like?"

"He was a good man, he met me at the gate after school everyday and   
we walked home together, he let me go to Paris with Mummy, then when he found out that I spent it alone he came with me the next time and he taught me about wine and how to speak French."

"I wish I could have known him."

"He would have loved you. He left when I was at Harvard. Mummy was horrible to him. She never told him where he went."

"I could track him down, if you want."

"You would?"

"I'd do anything for you." Bernie told her, kissing her cheek. 

"Marry me?" Serena asked, sitting up. 

"What?" Bernie replied, leaning up. 

"Let's get married, go to the courthouse fill out the paperwork and then I'll go and we'll have a party when I get back."

"No."

Serena stiffened, and turned away from Bernie to get off of the bed. 

Bernie grabbed her waist and pulled her down back onto the bed. "We're going to go get you a ring and then get married when you come home, so if you decide that you don't want to come back you don't have to." She explained, pulling Serena into her chest. 

"You'd be alright if I never came back to Holby?"

"I'm alright as long as you are." Bernie replied, kissing her neck. "I think sapphire surrounded by diamonds."

"You've put thought into this before haven't you?"

"I've had a ring in mind since Christmas."

Serena looked up at her shock evident in her eyes. "You already have a ring don't you?"

"Yes, it was my grandmother's. She'd have loved you, her wit was a lot like yours. Griselda Wolfe was one hell of a woman." Bernie explained, playing with Serena's locks. 

"Where did Berenice come from?"

"Dad served in Greece for a while after the war and made friends with a lovely couple and that's how that happened."

"Athens."

"What?"

"I'll meet you at the steps of the Acropolis on May 5th." Serena told her. 

"A Grecian holiday?"

"I've always wanted one. Breakfast and then to the train station." Serena replied, leaning up to kiss Bernie.


	3. April 8th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bernie has a shitty start to her time without Serena.

Bernie walked into AAU alone going towards her office, ignoring Morven calling over to her. 

Fletch pulled Morven back, the look in his eyes warning her not to go towards Bernie. "It's not worth it."

"We can't just leave her there." 

"She'll rip your head off. Serena's only been gone a day. Remember when Bernie left and Serena was a mess. This is like that, but far worse." He explained, watching Bernie practically race out of her office towards the locker room. 

Bernie spent the day in surgery avoiding talking to other people, answering every time the trauma phone rang, avoiding her office like it was the plague, eating in the staff room and glaring when Morven tried to talk to her. 

Jason met her at her car and sat down in the passenger seat and not saying a word to her. "Jason, I thought Alan was picking you up?"

He didn't respond, just looked out the windscreen. He was shaking just a little. 

Bernie shot out her door and around to where was sitting, pulling the door open and dragging him into her arms. "Jason, talk to me. What are you feeling?" 

"Alone. Scared." He replied, falling into her chest. 

"Jason, stay with me." She said, rocking back and forth. "Walk me through the Periodic Table."

"Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium, Beryllium…" He started, rocking with her. 

Bernie held him to her chest, trying to pull him back from the edge of his attack. "You're okay, I'm okay…"

"I'm not okay, I want Auntie Serena." He replied, tears in his eyes and his voice breaking. 

"I know, I do too." She told him. "She's going to call tonight."

"She is?"

"Yes."

Bernie pulled him up and into his seat. "Now how about we stop for fish and chips?"

"Extra large chip and a pickled gherkin?"

"What ever you want, dead." She replied, kissing his forehead. Walking around and sitting down in her seat. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

They rode together in silence as they pulled up to the chippy and Bernie ordered their food. 

Arriving at the house without Serena felt wrong to both of them. Bernie put her purse and coat away before going to into the kitchen for plates and drinks. 

Jason sat down at the kitchen island and waited for her. "When is she going to call?"

"At eight." She replied, sliding down next to him with her white wine. 

They ate quietly, neither having anything to say. 

"She will come back." Bernie broke the silence. 

"You think so?"

"That's what she told me."

"Can we have dinner together every week?"

"If you want to, you're always welcome here."

"I'd like that. Alan is picking me up in an hour." Jason told her, cleaning up his spot at the table. 

Bernie cleaned her place and followed him into the sitting room. 

The call with Serena lasted a bit shorted than either of them wanted, but Serena was busy settling into the villa where she was staying in Greece. 

They spent the rest of the hour watching QI together laughing a bit less than usual at Alan Davies and Sandi Toksvig. 

Jason hugged Bernie before getting into Alan's car. 

Bernie stayed in the sitting room whilst the television kept playing, not having the urge to rise and go to bed. She finished the bottle she had been drinking and passed out on he sofa. 

She woke up the next morning a bit hungover and just wanting to stay there and not moved, but remembered that she was needed on the ward and climbed the stairs to take a shower and get dressed as quickly as she could. The bedroom still smelled like Serena and just the scent made the pain in Bernie's chest even more noticeable.


	4. April 16th Easter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bernie has a rough Easter and background on the Wolfe family.

Bernie was never overly religious, her parents were Roman Catholic and she has been baptized and confirmed. Prayer was never something she did regularly, there were times when she prayed for her patients to live, for her family to stay safe while she was gone, but never for herself. She prayed for the first time today, that Serena would come home soon, that they could find a way to heal and be together again. Her rosary being taken out of it's spot in her military hold all for the first time in at least a decade. 

When she was a child Easter had been a happy time full of new dresses and a new bonnet and being able to go onto base to see her father. Captain Wolfe was a loving and kind father who always made time to see his wife and children. Occasionally coaxing others to take a shift on the base hospital so he could take his family out or do something that the children wanted to do. As much as he loved his three sons, but Bernie was his pride and joy. From the day he held her in his arms to the day he dropped her off at the base for her basic training to the day he gave her away at her wedding to holding his grandchildren. 

Mrs. Wolfe had a tougher view of love than her husband she didn't see the point in coddling her children. If they could walk and talk they could learn to take care of themselves. 

Bernie coddled Cam and Charlie, when she was home she'd take them to parks, museums and amusement parks. They spent days together doing anything and everything. Marcus hated that Bernie toke them out for days at a time and undermined most of the rules he tried to impose on them. 

This Easter was different there were no new dresses or bonnets or coddling from family members. This Easter was going to be spent in the sitting room with enough wine to keep her in a state of partial sedation and take out. 

Cam was staying in London and Charlie was getting ready for her exams so there was no way she was going to make it.

Somehow Bernie had two days in a row off. Fletch had told her that he and Morven could take care of things. Not that the thought of staying alone in Serena's-no their home-gave her any comfort. 

She had slept in their bed once before it was too much, since then she had either slept in the sitting room or the guest room. She slept with Serena's pillow, putting one spurt of her perfume on the pillow so could feel closer to her. Serena had taken a bottle of Bernie's perfume and a few of her shirts. 

Bernie passed out on Easter and woke up the next morning slightly hungover. She had breakfast and spent the day the garden pulling up weeds and figuring out which flowers would look best where or if she should just grow vegetables.


	5. April 26th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bernie's thoughts after Ric joins AAU.

Ric joined them on AAU with the arrival of Darla who Bernie loved. This girl was running laps around Ric from the moment she stepped onto the ward. 

Bernie talked to Darla and found that she just wanted to spend time with him. The girl was lonely Bernie had been sent to boarding school after she turned thirteen, because her mother didn't want to deal with her. They had lunch and Bernie gave her her number so incase she ever needed to learn new pranks or have some girl time she could call. 

After his shift Ric took Darla home, she texted Bernie when she got home and asked if they could keep talking through the semester. Bernie agreed knowing that it would help her stay in school and not run off again. 

She made it through the day without crying, didn't drink herself to sleep for the first time in nearly two weeks. Not that she wasn't tempted, she was just too tired to drink. She arrived at home with her takeout, ate and then passed out. 

She'd had dinner with Jason a few times, they'd have fish and chips. He'd go back to Alan's at the end of the night and she'd drink whiskey. Not Shiraz never without Serena. That would wait until they were sitting somewhere together. Serena had said that she wouldn't drink any until they were together again. 

Bernie worked in the garden when she wasn't working. She decided on vegetables over flowers, they'd be functional. The garden was partially to keep her occupied and partially for Serena when she returned, because she once mentioned that she wanted a vegetable garden, but never had the time. 

Cam had called asking how she was she told him that she was fine and that things were going great. Charlie hadn't called, but that was normal for them. Bernie would call her after her exams and they'd meet up and do something together even if that meant shopping. If they wen shopping she'd text Evie and maybe Darla if they'd wanted to join them. 

Evie and Darla would probably get a long. They'd both lost their mothers at young ages, had fathers that worked most of the time, could run circles around male members of their families and both had a tendency to skip school if the mood fancied them. 

Girl time might be great, something that Bernie had never had. She spent most of her time with her father or brothers. Her mother said that she loved her, but it always felt hollow. They rarely spent time together and if they did she'd always reprimand Bernie for something. A tear in her dress, mud on her shoes, a lower grade than usual, the day she came home having chopped off most of her   
long brunette locks and dyed what was left of her hair bleach bottle blonde. 

That was something she hadn't done alone. Her father had picked her up from boarding schools he, she told him that she hated her hair and he asked her what she wanted. She said anything different so they stopped at a corner store on the way home and did her hair. They told her mother that one of the girls at school did it. Mrs. Wolfe hated it she and hated the nickname that her husband had given their only daughter. It was just so unladylike. 

Bernie had loved her newly blonde and bobbed hair, it was a little uneven and her bangs weren't straight, but her father had given her the chance to do something to help her be her own person. 

The RAMC had made sense after secondary school. Her father was an Army doctor and she was going to follow in his footsteps. Her brothers had joined up Luke became pilot, Matthew military police and John a lawyer.

She hadn't seen any of them in nearly four years. There was no urge to see her brothers or her mother, but she missed her father. She'll contact him after she finds Serena's father and have something positive to give the love of her life the next time they see one another.


	6. April 29th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bernie talks to her father.

Bernie was surprised at how easy it was to track down Serena's father. He was still alive and living in London only a short distance from where Cam was living. It'd be easy to go down and meet him and give him Serena's number band ask him to call her. 

Bernie thanked her friends from the Army who had helped her and looked at the file in front of her. This could make a huge difference in what was going to happen when Serena came home. If he was sick she'd think that she needed to take care of him like she had with her mother. 

Bernie decided against taking her day off to travel to London and talk to him, instead she called her father. 

"Dad?" Bernie asked over the phone. 

"Bernie!" He exclaimed, shocked to hear from her. 

"Hi, I've missed you." 

"I've missed you too, Ber-Bear."

"Are you free tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"There are some things I need to tell you and I want to see you."

"Remember that café in Holby we used to take your children to?"

"Yes."

"I'll meet you there for lunch."

"Okay, I love you."

"I love you, too little one."

 

Bernie woke up the next day, not hungover and dressed to get ready for her meeting with her father. She held the ring that Serena had gotten her between her hands trying not to cry at the chance that she wouldn't come back. These rings were the hope that she would come back. 

She put it on her left ring finger, watching it sparkle in the light of their bedroom. It was a smaller stone than Serena's, but it was perfect. 

She ate breakfast and checked to make sure that all the doors were locked, spurted Serena's perfume on herself before walking out to the drive, looking between the cars and deciding to take Serena's. 

It was a shorter drive from the home she shares with Serena than the house that she had lived with Marcus in.

She pulled into a parking spot and got out of the car, locking it behind her. 

Captain Charles Wolfe spotted his daughter walking towards the door of the café. He had managed to get a table in the corner, away from the eyes of the people around them. Both liked their privacy. 

"Dad." Bernie said, walking over to him and wrapping her arms around his neck. 

"Hello, darling."

She sat down across from him. "It's been too long, a lot has changed."

"Tell me everything."

"I'm not in the RAMC anymore , I got blown up, Marcus and I got a divorce, I work here in Holby now."

"And?"

"I have a partner. Her name is Serena." Bernie's eyes straying to the menu in front of her, trying to avoid the possibility of any judgement from her father. 

"Do you have pictures?"

Bernie unlocked her phone, pulled up the photo app and scrolled back to Christmas, she clicked on the picture of her and Serena with Cam, Charlie, Jason and Ellie. 

He took the phone from her hands and looked the picture. "She's very beautiful. Are these her children?"

"Her nephew and her daughter. Jason and Ellie, she died in January."

His eyes met hers. "Tell me everything."

Their lunch arrived, Charles had gone ahead and order for both of them when he arrived. Sandwich and crisps for them both. 

"Ellie was at the hospital working on an article about the NHS. She and Serena fought, Ellie raced out got in her car, she started to drive away and nearly hit Serena, but Jason pushed her out of the way. Ellie hit him, I saved him. After I went to find Ellie and talk to her she was on the floor of the loo, unresponsive. She had a sub dermal hematoma, she was brain dead before they could get it out."

He kept his eyes on her as they ate. "There was nothing you could do to save her."

"I know, it just feels like I failed all of them."

"Where is Serena now?"

"She's in Athens, Greece. She needed time away from Holby to get some space and have time to heal away from the ghosts. I'm going to see her this weekend."

"And Jason?"

"Moved back in with his old carer. Jason has Aspergers. He comes over for dinner every so often."

"I'd like to meet them both."

"You're not mad?"

"I could never be mad at you."

"Are you free next Tuesday? It's fish and chips night."

"I am always free for my family."

"Thank you, Dad. Will Mother miss you?"

"She'll get over it. I've been taking the odd locum shift at St. Austin's."

"How do feel about emergency surgery?"

"Far better than electives, why?"

"Serena is isn't only my partner, she's my co-lead on AAU. Our CEO Mr. Hanssen sent a doctor, but he's shit at emergency medicine and then we got a junior who is a cardio thoracic surgeon. There are only four surgeons on the ward and with the trauma bay, we're swamped."

"I'd love to cut people open with you."

"Thank you, I'll suggest you to Hanssen."

They finished eating and planned out seeing one another on Tuesday at Serena's so Charles could meet Jason.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason meets Captian Wolfe.

Bernie had talked to Hanssen about her father joining AAU and he had seemed accepting of the idea, mostly because Ric and Valentine were so far from what the ward needed. 

Dinner with her father and Jason seemed like a great idea when she had suggested it to each of them individually. Picking up dinner was easy enough, as was driving home. Figuring out what to talk about over dinner was daunting. They were both direct and slightly blunt about feelings, but would they get along?

Jason walked through the front door ten minutes after she had arrived. "When is Captain Wolfe getting here?"

"Pretty soon, would you like to go a head and staring eating or wait for him?"

"I'll go ahead." He replied, sitting down at his usual place at the table with his Coke. 

Bernie sat down across from him, her white wine in front of her. 

The door bell went off. 

"I'll get it." Bernie told him

Charles stood outside the door, waiting for Bernie to answer. 

"Hi, Dad."

"Hello, darling."

"Come in, dinner is on the table."

He followed her into the dining room seeing a young man who, he assumed was Jason. "Charles Wolfe, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Jason Haynes, pleasure to meet you as well." 

"Does Mother know where you are?"

"I told her I was having dinner with friends. She'll forget about it by morning." Charles explained. 

"Bernie, does your mother not approve of you?" Jason questioned. 

"She'd be more proud if I had never joined the army, stayed married to Marcus, had an endless number of children and never worked another day in my life." Bernie explained, sitting down between them. 

"I don't understand."

"Have you seen movies about the 1950s where the wife stays at home cleans the house and takes care of the children?"

"Yes."

"She wanted me to be like that."

"Oh, that would have been a waste. You're a fantastic doctor and if you hadn't have been working you never would have ended up at the hospital and you never would have met Auntie Serena."

"I know, being blown up was one of the best things that has happened to me."

Charles chuckled into his wine. "That is a very cavalier perspective on nearly dying."

"It's an optimistic point of view." She countered. 

He began eating his fish, the same glint in his eyes that she had in hers when she was planning something mischievous. 

"Would your mother approve of you and Auntie Serena?" Jason asked, chomping down on his chips. 

Bernie looked down at her food trying to find the words to explain to Jason what her mother would say about her and Serena. 

"She wouldn't approve, she was raised in a very restrictive Catholic family." Charles told him. 

"That doesn't make any sense."

"Do you remember before Christmas when we were out shopping and those men were yelling things at us?"

"Yes."

"Hatred never makes any sense."

"But it's getting better?"

"Slowly, but it's getting better."

"Like how sometimes people loose their temper with me, but then apologize?"

"Exactly, you're first thought is what you were raised to think, you're second thought is what you learned to think." Bernie told him, squeezing his hand. 

"Do you share her views?"  
Jason asked looking over at Charles. 

"I used to, but as time went on and I met more people I don't really care, because it didn't affect me. Now that it does, I find that I only care that my daughter has someone she loves."

"Are you going to visit often? I've never had a grandfather before."

"I plan to be here a while."


	8. May 5th, Athens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bernie and Serena meet up in Greece.

Bernie arrived in Athens at 13.48, stumbled over the Greek asking the cabbie to get her to the Acropolis. Rucksack slung over her shoulder, it was the only luggage she had brought with her. This wasn't a long trip and she wasn't planning on taking much back. Maybe a few things Serena had gotten as souvenirs. 

The trail to the Acropolis was longer than the pictures showed. At the top of the stairs though was one of the most beautiful sights in the world. 

Bernie reached the top and wrapped her arms around Serena's waist. "Hello, darling."

"Bernie." Serena greeted, turning around so she could wrap her arms around Bernie's neck. 

Bernie kissed Serena's lips. "I've missed you, so much. Video chat, isn't the same."

"I know."

They spent an hour looking at the ruins and the views before climbing down the stairs to find a taxi back to Serena's hotel. Although hotel was stretching it. Airbnb was more accurate. 

"Shall we have gyros for dinner?"

"Sure, tell me everything about what you've done since you got here."

"I went to some of the museums and one of the colleges for a few lectures. I've watched cutting edge surgeries on the Internet."

"I found your father."

Serena stopped rambling on about what she'd done. "You have?"

"He's in London, only a few Tube stops from where Cam is. Some of my Army friends helped. He's still working, at the same hospital where Cam is, mostly lectures and tutoring."

"He's alive." Serena stepped towards Bernie and crashed into her. "Do you have his number?"

"Yes, Serena this isn't something that you should do over the phone. When you come back to the England we can go down together. How does that sound?"

Serena just nodded her head, snuggling into Bernie. 

"I called my father, last week. We had lunch I told him everything about Alex, the IED, the divorce, the trauma bay, you and Jason and Ellie."

The brunette looked up, questions racing in her mind. 

"He wants to meet you. He met Jason earlier this week and loves him."

"That's good, really good."

"He's also working on AAU for the foreseeable future."

"Hanssen didn't surprise you with him, did he?"

"No, I suggested him to Hanssen. We're understaffed with Raf up on Kellar, no F1s, Jasmine is up on Darwin. Hanssen sent Ric who's a great surgeon, but is a lost cause when it comes to trauma and then Oliver Valentine came down this week. He's meticulous, which is great for cardio thoracics, but not trauma, there isn't time to spend an hour looking at CTs or MRIs. He's a great surgeon as long as that surgery involves the heart or the lungs."

"You're not fighting with Ric about who's in charge are you?"

"He tried to remove a piece of rebar from a man's leg and made it worse by not checking for a cross bar on the other side. Called for me while I was in surgery removing rebar from the friends chest saying that he needed help, I had to walk him through rolling the patient and pulling it out."

"And Valentine?"

"Dad scared him, had to relieve pressure in a leg. Covered him in a coat of blood."

"In theater?"

"Trauma bay, everyone laughed even Jason."

"It didn't scare him?"

"No, he may have a new favourite military doctor."

"Oh, he loves you. You're always going to be his favourite, he just might be trying to connect to a father figure?"

"I see that. They're spending time together this weekend doing a Doctor Who marathon."

"Is Cam coming back to Holby?"

"Yes for his next rotation, he's coming back to trauma medicine and he wants to learn about vascular surgery and how it can prevent the loss of limbs in emergency situations."

"He wants to learn about vascular surgery?"

"He watched a surgery from some hot shot Harvard grad and fell in love with the whole field."

"Which Harvard grad?"

"The one he wants to call his Mum."

Serena looked up at Bernie, shocked that Cam wanted to call her his Mum. "He wants to…"

"He does."

"I love you, Bernie."

"I love you, Serena."

"There's a huge bath tub in the bathroom."

"I'll go start the bath." Bernie replied, jumping off the bed and racing to the bathroom, clothes flying off of her.


End file.
